Highlights
- A late and erratic onset of rains delayed planting and reduced area planted in southern and western parts of the region.
- A dry spell from mid-January to early February caused moderate to severe crop moisture stress in the central parts of the region. The dry spell ended in early February, allowing recovery of some crops. Observations however indicate that permanent wilting had occurred in several areas.

• In 2018, 319,726 children under the age of five were screened for malnutrition and 74,871 treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in drought affected areas and in Lovua settlement, where refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are located.

• With UNICEF support, 2,731 household latrines and showers were built for all refugees living in Lovua settlement, and 87,500 people gained access to safe water through water points and handpumps in droughtaffected areas.

This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 60 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including:

Ondjiva - At least 284.780 people in southern Cunene province affected by drought will benefit, within days, from food assistance, said Tuesday in Ondjiva the Secretary of State for Social Action, Lúcio do Amaral.

Speaking to Angop, on the sidelines of the visit of the multisectoral committee to assess the consequences of the drought in Cunene, the Secretary of State said that next Friday will arrive the first batch of various foodstuffs.

Without advancing the quantity, said that among the food items are rice, maize flour , oil, beans, sugar and soap.

Ondjiva - The drought situation in the province of Cunene requires concrete and immediate solutions to reach the population affected by water shortages, said Tuesday in Ondjiva the Minister of Territory Administration and State Reform, Adão de Almeida.

The official made these remarks in a meeting with members of the local government and the Civil Protection and Fire Service, as part of a visit to Cunene to assess the drought, stating that the situation is critical, challenging and requires more pragmatism and action.

The southern African continent is highly vulnerable to extreme climatological events, due to the combination of insufficient coping capacity, widespread poverty and strong seasonal rainfall patterns. The region is experiencing a meteorological drought.

This region has a strong precipitation seasonality, with most of the annual rainfall falling between November and March. The meteorological drought experienced in the region could impact the next lean season.

This Weekly Bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 57 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key new and ongoing events, including: